Alumni Arts Review

The F&M Alumni Arts Review is a printed publication, with a web presence, that presents literary and visual works by Franklin & Marshall alumni. We invite you to browse through online flipbooks of previous issues, read the letter from Editor Sands Hall regarding the theme for Volume IX, BOUND, and learn more about how to submit your work, below.

It’s an “arts” review for a reason: F&M is proud that as a College it continues the fine tradition of a classic liberal arts education. The word "arts" in this case does not just mean the fine arts, or the literary arts; rather, it refers to educational disciplines that are considered essential if one is to be an effective citizen of the world. These include the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

As alumni of F&M, you engaged in many forms of these “arts." You may have delved into a fine art or a dramatic art or a literary art. Above all, you learned to express yourself and your ideas effectively.

Many of you are still doing so, and one of the ideas behind the Review is that you might be delighted with an opportunity to re-engage with the invigoration such explorations offer. If these expressions manifest as artwork—paintings, drawings, photographs (even photographs of your three dimensional work), or in written form—stories, essays, poems, plays, we hope you’ll consider submitting your work to the F&M Alumni Arts Review.

We also hope the Review will keep you engaged, or will re-engage you with your alma mater. As you browse the images and poems and stories in the online flipbooks of past volumes, you might also discover what some of your fellow F&M alums are up to. Whether you are an aspiring writer/artist, an established one, or simply want to try your hand at publication, we are most interested in seeing and reading your work.

The theme of our ninth and final volume is BOUND, which, in addition to "walking or running with leaping steps," offers all kinds of matters for exploration, including the idea of boundaries ("out of bounds" emerges from this meaning of the word), as well as the idea of heading somewhere: "bound for glory." Below, a letter from the editor, Sands Hall, outlines further usages of this delightful word; you will also find a link to our online submission program.

2019: Annual Fall Reading & Reception

A lovely wine and cheese reception during Homecoming! Each year our community and alums come together to chat and to share their current work. October 26th, 3:00-5:00, at the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House. Click through the slideshow!

Image Credit: Jim Yescalis

Image Credit: Jim Yescalis

Image Credit: Jim Yescalis

Image Credit: Jim Yescalis

Image Credit: Jim Yescalis

Image Credit: Jim Yescalis

Image Credit: Jim Yescalis

Image Credit: Jim Yescalis

Image Credit: Jim Yescalis

Image Credit: Jim Yescalis

Image Credit: Jim Yescalis

Letter from the Editor: Theme of Current Volume

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April, 2019

BOUND!

As a verb, bound is “to walk or run with leaping strides”; the noun describes a “leaping movement upward.” I just love that it comes from a French word meaning 'resound’, which descends, curiously, from the Latin for ‘humming.’ To hum and to bound!

Or rebound!

There’s another, darker, meaning of the word, one from which “boundary” comes: a bound, or bounds (noun), is a territorial limit; it also means a limitation or restriction on feeling or action.

In this sense, bound offers ideas to do with being enclosed, or to place limits on, restrict. In sports we might say, out of bounds. Or an artist might move beyond the bounds of the expected. This usage of the word descends from the Middle English for ‘landmark’ or ‘borderland.’

And there’s yet a third definition: The idea of heading toward a specified place: homeward bound, or bound for glory. Or that one is likely to have a specified experience: She’s bound to fail. He’s bound to have a grand time.

Of course, “bound” brings up images of, well, bondage. In this usage, bound is the past tense of the verb bind. Indeed, tying people and things up—figuratively, literally—is a very powerful meaning of the word.

Which can also lead to unbinding—to becoming unbounded.

Bound as the past tense of bind also—conversely—offers the notion of union: bound together.

In this form of the word, there's also the sense associated with putting together, as a book—or a volume of the AAR—is bound.

There’s also tying or fastening (something) tightly—a bandage around a shin, a roof rack to a car, arms around a child.

Which leads to the idea of a vow: a legal or contractual obligation, or being obliged in some way by law, circumstances, duty—or love: as we might be bound to our alma mater.

Submissions are now open! Deadline is Nov 17th, 2019. To browse past online flipbooks, see above! For guidelines, see below.

Submissions should be previously unpublished works of FICTION, NONFICTION/ESSAYS, POETRY, SHORT PLAYS; and ARTWORK: paintings, drawings, and photographs—visual art that is two-dimensional in nature; and INTERVIEWS. The theme for Volume IX is BOUND.

Categories

NONFICTION/MEMOIR/ESSAYS: The editors of the Alumni ArtsReview are interested in personal essays as well as informative ones. This is not the place, however, for an academic work that is limited to a particular audience or that is footnoted/in-text referenced. We’re looking for essays that are interdisciplinary, well written, and which appeal to a wide readership. Limit 3,000 words. Manuscripts should be double spaced, using a 12 point font.

FICTION: Most fiction selected for publication in the Review is in the form of short stories. Short-shorts are also intriguing to us, and we will look at novel excerpts only if the submitted piece is complete and self-contained. Limit 3,000 words. Manuscripts should be double spaced, using a 12 point font.

POETRY: We’re interested in poems of any length and aesthetic bent. A poetry submission may consist of up to to five poems. Please submit as one document, with a page break between each poem.

PLAYWRITING: The Review will consider short playscripts, both self-contained scenes and one-acts; these should be properly formatted. Limit: 3,000 words, including stage directions.

VISUAL ART: The Review publishes photographs, as well as photographs of paintings, drawings, and sculptures, etc. A Visual Art submission may comprise up to ten images. Please submit them as one submission (that is, do not submit ten separate images). We accept .jpeg or .gif or .tiff. Photographs should be at least 72 dpi for submission purposes; if accepted, we'll ask for at least 300 dpi; minimum size 1800 x 1800 pixels.

INTERVIEWS: Interviews conducted for publication in the Review are done at the request of the Editors; however, we are happy to entertain your ideas. If you have a particular artist you’d like us to interview, please let us know. If you’d like to conduct the interview yourself, write us the particulars, as well as your experience and an example if you have one, and the editorial board will take it under consideration.

Note: Due to F&M’s ever-growing efforts in the directions of sustainability, we prefer you submit your work via our online submission manager. However, we also understand that not everyone is online, so we do accept work via the United States Postal service. If you do submit work via USPO, be sure to include a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope. If we do not receive an SASE we will recycle your pages (and in the case of artists, your CD).

We do consider simultaneous submissions, but request that the author/artist let us know immediately if their work is accepted elsewhere.

RIGHTS

If your work is selected to appear in the F&M Alumni Arts Review, we have First American serial rights only. All rights revert to the author upon publication. We do ask if the author/artist reprints work that first appeared in our pages that The Franklin & Marshall Alumni Arts Review be given acknowledgment for the specific work(s) involved.

We look forward to seeing and reading your work!

Editorial Board, The F&M Alumni Arts Review

Frequently Asked Questions

Image Credit: Z.L. Zhou

WHO CAN SUBMIT TO THE REVIEW?

All F&M alumni, including the most recently graduating class, are encouraged to send us their work. You are considered an alum if you spent at least two full years at the College. We are interested in your essays, stories, poetry, and artwork. In the spirit of the ideals and teachings of a liberal arts education, alumni from all disciplines—not just English and the arts—are encouraged to submit to the Review. See submission guidelines.

DOES IT COST MONEY TO SUBMIT TO THE REVIEW?

We are happy to receive support with a gift of any size to help us in our work. But no, there is no charge to submit to the F&M Alumni Arts Review.

DO I GET PAID IF MY WORK IS PUBLISHED IN THE REVIEW?

No, you do not. You do receive two copies of the Review.

DO YOU ACCEPT SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS?

The Review will consider simultaneous submissions, but requests that you let us know immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. In regard to sending us multiple examples of your work: We accept just one submission per author/artist at a time. If your first submitted work is not accepted, you are welcome to submit again.

CAN I GET A COPY OF THE REVIEW?

Absolutely! Copies of the Review may be ordered as long as they are available. You just need to give us your mailing address. There is no charge, but we’re grateful for gifts of any size to support the Review (see below).

WHO MAKES THE DECISIONS ABOUT WHO GETS PUBLISHED?

The Review’s editorial board meets to deliberate about the works that are published in the pages and on the website of the Review.

WILL I GET EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE FOR MY WRITING OR IS IT PUBLISHED AS-IS?

Editor Sands Hall, often in consultation with other members of the Editorial Board, offers most writers and poets some editorial comments and suggestions for revision.

WHAT TO SUBMIT:

Submissions should be previously unpublished works of Fiction, Nonfiction/Essays, Poetry, Playscripts; Interviews; and Visual Arts: paintings, drawings, and photographs—visual art that is two-dimensional in nature. See the submission guidelines, above.

Support the Review

There is no cost to submit to the F&M Alumni Arts Review. But we are happy to receive support with a gift of any size to help us in our work.

Support Online
To make a secure online donation in support of the F&M Alumni Arts Review, go to Franklin & Marshall’s secure online giving page and follow these steps: